How to Transition From a Physical Office to a Virtual Office Space
Congratulations, you’ve decided to ditch the traditional office lease and start running your small business from a virtual office space!
Making the switch is a great way to save money, expand your professional network and gain flexibility, but you should still prepare your company for a successful change. Set yourself up for a successful transition with the following guidelines, suggestions and tips.
Consider doing a virtual office test run
Because virtual offices allow members to only pay for what they need, and nothing they don’t, you’ll have an opportunity to test out your business’s new home. You can work from a space for a few hours, an entire week or longer before choosing a final location to run your company.
Depending on the location of your business, you can even test out different offices within your region. Providers like Intelligent Office (IO) have locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, and many cities feature several spots within a larger metro area. Feel free to test different offices until you find the perfect fit.
Additionally, you could try out different types of virtual space options, ranging from executive suites to shared office spaces.
Learn what to expect from a virtual office
While virtual offices share many similarities with traditional office spaces, like professional furnishings and all the office equipment you need to get work done, there are some key differences.
For example, you could work alongside different people each time you go into the office. You’ll see more familiar faces as you get to know members in your new community, but people tend to pop in and out at different times. If you’re utilizing a coworking space or other type of shared office space, you could also work from different workstations within the office.
Even with these differences, however, you’ll quickly find that virtual offices have a lot in common with traditional office spaces. Learn more about what to expect here.
If employees will be joining you, communicate early and often
Change can be unsettling for anyone, especially your employees. Be sure to keep your team up to date on the office transition, and let them know what to expect from the new office setup. Make sure they understand all of the benefits the new space will provide, too.
You should also think about what the virtual office transition will mean to your team members, both from a practical and emotional perspective:
- Will they have longer commutes?
- Do some people rely on public transportation to reach the office, and will their journeys be impacted in a positive or negative way?
- Has anyone settled into the existing office and made it feel like their home away from home?
Spend some time thinking about the implications of an office switch from your team’s perspective. With this type of empathetic and conscientious approach, you’ll soon be getting more of your best work done from a flexible and affordable virtual office space.
